Nazca Lines

Its difficult to resist comparing Nazca Lines to At the Drive-In, simply because frontman Cory Alfanos strident, clipped howl immediately echoes that of ATDIs Cedric Bixler. However, unlike that bands impassioned and dramatic sprawl of arty, angular rock, Nazca Lines' material sounds like the work of artists much more interested in keeping their cards close to their chest. There is plenty of tension and release, but theres also a deceptive tautness that never slackens, making their songs tightly drawn, borderline claustrophobic, and impressively succinct. Tonight they celebrate the release of their Matt Bayles-produced full-length, Hyperventilation, with help from their like-minded peers Virgin Islands and Blood Orange Paradise, a promising quartet that will please anyone with a Fugazi fixation. HANNAH LEVIN